And All My Bones Begin to Shake, My Eyes Flew Open
by Keono
Summary: His whole career had simply been to see and write, regardless if what he was seeing was what others saw or not. But to some, this was their only sight. Blind AU, Modern Setting, Written for SasoDei Day.
1. Beginning

**What? I have like five other stories in progress? Hm? Write a new one? Great idea!**

Sasori huffed to himself as he saw the bus finally pulling up to the stop. A whole thirty minutes late. Sasori was seriously thinking about writing a detailed review for the bus company and hopefully getting the bus driver fired, but that was only wishful thinking. The only thing he would be able to write about would be it's poor efficiency and maybe how terrible the graphic design was on the side of the coach. Oh, the woes of an art critic.

As soon as he got on, he saw that the whole bus was practically full and he even though he really didn't want to stand for fifteen minutes, he didn't want to walk for forty-five. As he took his spot at a pole, he saw that one person actually had a spare seat but was using it for his bag.

Sasori narrowed his eyes at the stranger who just seemed to stare at him. It unnerved Sasori slightly, but it pissed him off just as much. This guy could have given up the spare seat easily to someone who could use it. Sasori knew he didn't look old, but he felt like it.

Sighing irritably, he looked out the window and shifted his laptop bag and hoped that the man would stop staring at him. Was it his hair? Did he look like a mess because he felt like it? Sasori nearly smelled himself to see if it was that, but then again, the bus smelled just as terrible.

Because the stranger wouldn't stop starting at him, he decided to look back and eyeball the stranger as well. The first thing was the hair, which was long slightly wavy and blond. Most of it was tied up, but some was left out, multiple strands at the nape of his neck and some behind his ear that seemed to sway forward and fall in front of his left eye. He didn't seem to care.

His clothes were slightly mundane. Jeans, blue jacket. The only thing he wore that stood out was a bracelet that was an assortment of vivid neon rainbow colors. When Sasori looked closely, he saw that the man had two piercings in his left ear, three in the other.

And the most disturbing thing were his unnaturally blue eyes and the way they continued to peer at him. Sasori was starting to get a little more bothered by the blond's aberrant and oblivious staring. He began to note a few more things about the man and knew that he was becoming supercilious but he was used to judging so much. A terrible habit.

He sighed harshly and could practically hear his granny's voice saying, "That's very rude, Sasori! Never do that… And sit up straighter!"

Three minutes passed before the bus made a stop and Sasori could peer from the corner of his eye that the stranger was getting up from his seat. Sasori didn't want to sit down anymore than he did want to look at the man. When he was walking by Sasori, he bumped into him and Sasori opened his mouth to snap at him to watch where he was going until he noticed the white cane marked with red at the bottom in the blond's hand.

Sasori blanched at that and the man apologized with a smile before walking around him.

And now Sasori felt like an asshole. He nearly had to hide his face in shame but no one else seemed to notice his extreme discomfort.

He had gotten angry at a blind person for staring at him.

That was about as embarrassing and douchey as it could got.

The rest of the ride was long and uncomfortable as Sasori tried to come to terms with himself. He didn't say anything, nor did he act out, but it still felt wrong to get so upset over someone staring at him.

As soon as Sasori got home to his apartment complex he tried to forget about what happened and brewed himself a pot of tea before going over some new reviews that he was in the process of fixing up before sending them to his editor. As soon as he sat down at his kitchen table he heard a low meow that was closer to a moan from behind him. He felt his feline friend rub against his leg and Sasori ended up shoving the cat away with his foot.

"Not feeding you now, go away."

He was ignored as the cat jumped onto the table. He didn't admonish the beast enough because she really did whatever she wanted. Sasori huffed and got up to get the feline her food.

A birthday present from his cousin who was obsessed with cats. Sasori didn't know what to name her at the time so he took a look at her black fur and decided on Kuro.

Once Kuro had her food, Sasori went back to work but, of course, his mind unintentionally wavering towards the man he had seen on the bus. He was noticing things he hadn't seen before, a bad habit that he had, especially when he had just finished writing a review and was sending it in when he could have revised it further.

The man was young, perhaps early twenties, yet he had laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. His skin was sun kissed and it seemed like he spent a lot of time outdoors, wheres Sasori spent most of his time under florescent lights, making his complexion seem more fare than it really was.

When he had walked by Sasori, the critic saw that his hands were slathered lightly in a thin layer of gray. Sasori could smell it. Clay, the kind you can only find at the art store on Second street. He was an artist. It explained why he had gotten off on Second anyway.

Sasori hummed and continued to ponder in his own thoughts. He wanted to know what this man made, not to judge it but to understand a different style of art besides painting, which every other new artist seemed to be doing.

Sasori continued to type as he thought and soon his thoughts drifted to the man's features, or more specifically, the one's he thought were the most attractive. He had sharp features, opposing to Sasori's own soft face that made him look boyish, and they stood out with shadows. As Sasori thought about it, the stranger's eyes weren't exactly creepy, but almost perspicacious.

Kuro's meow brought him from his thoughts and he looked at his laptop to see that he had written all of his thoughts down. Swearing to himself, Sasori tried to find where his thoughts had strayed from his review on the new gallery on fifth. Practically from the beginning.

Huffing to himself, Sasori highlighted it and was about to delete it, but his finger hovered over the delete button on his keyboard. He read over his thoughts and pursed his lips before pushing Command C and pulling up another document to save his writing.

Sasori got up to pour himself a cup of tea and to gather his thoughts before he began writing again. He hadn't finished his impression of the blond-haired man on the bus and Sasori had to set his cup down to rake his hands through his too messy hair.

Once he sat down, Sasori ended up bring out the document he had just saved and continued tapping away at the keyboard to get the rest of his thoughts out. This didn't happen often, especially not when just seeing a random person on the bus. Sasori was used to writing about art and all of it's false forms, not people, but he couldn't seem to stop.

He continued on with his features. The stranger's face was narrow, making his cheekbones defined in the light. His eyelashes were long, and unlike his hair, black. Sasori had to pause, his fingers hovering over the keys. He had to think back to see if he saw any smudges on the man's face, if it gave away that he was wearing mascara. The blond's eyes appeared flawless. Natural, most likely.

Sasori began again.

He caught a glimpse of his nails when he walked by, and they were painted a dark purple, the color standing out against the gray of clay on his fingers. As he passed by, Sasori could smell something else besides the clay. Was it chai, or coffee? Both, he deduced.

A knock interrupted Sasori's flow of thoughts and it all came crashing down around him. He was frozen and a few seconds later there was another knock. Kuro meowed from her spot on the couch and Sasori finally got the nerve to stand up, his hand brushing against his chilled tea.

He hurried over to the door, wanting to get his entire portrayal down before it all left him, and he unlocked it with such haste it nearly sounded like he was having a fit. He opened the door, expecting to find Mrs. Kur needing another cup of sugar– which Sasori did not have –but instead found the stranger from the bus.

Sasori's heart nearly jumped from his chest and he unintentionally moved a step away from the door. The man looked like he was having a pretty rough evening, his expression haggard even though he stared off into nothing.

"Hello, un?"

Sasori's eyebrow twitched at the speech impediment and he filed that away for later. Gathering his wit quickly, Sasori answered, "Yes, is there something I can help you with?" he hoped his tone wasn't filled with too much hesitation. He took a deep breath and pulled on his icy exterior, the one he wore when at the galleries.

The blond seemed slightly put off by his tone, and he sighed in exhaustion. "I'm sorry for bothering you so late, but my heater isn't working, un. The front desk said that it should be fine but I can't seem to fix it, and it's only blowing a freaking blizzard in there, un. Could you help me, un?"

His expression was nearly embarrassed, like he never asked for help before and doing so was wrong. Sasori kept himself composed. "Sure, that's fine," he replied before saying that he was going back into his apartment for his keys. Once he was out again, the blond led him to his room through the hall, his fingers skimming the wall by his hips.

After a few seconds of walking, his neighbor stopped three doors away from Sasori's apartment. He got out his keys and unlocked the door with ease. Once he stepped in, he didn't even bother turning on the lights but Sasori did, just so he wouldn't trip on the cardboard boxes on the floor. Must have just moved in even though Sasori never saw a moving truck outside.

The _click _made the man turn towards Sasori slightly. "Ah, sorry about that, I usually don't turn on the lights."

"It's fine. Where is your thermostat?" Sasori said, his voice slightly glazed as he spied a lump of clay on the table, a newspaper under it to keep the wood safe. He was making something. Sasori had to look back towards his new neighbor to see where he was heading.

The blond led him to the hall next to his kitchen and gestured to the device with a huff. "Lived here for two days and this thing has been on the fritz the whole time, un."

Sasori nodded, even though the man didn't see, and looked at the thermostat. It was set to high, that was correct, so what was wrong. There was a sticky note with numbers but that didn't give any hint. So Sasori pushed some buttons, as the man began to talk.

"Thanks again for coming, un. No one else was home so I had to knock on all the doors until someone answered." Sasori looked over his shoulder to see that the blond was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He looked like a different person than the one on the bus.

"The front desk is closed?" he asked as he began pushing some more buttons.

"Seems like it," his neighbor grumbled as he swatted his hand through the air. "Went down there twice in the past half hour and no one was there, un. I bet they left a sign to say they were out for dinner, but guess what, I can't see worth shit, un," he exclaimed in frustration and Sasori had the urge to hug him in hopes of cheering him up.

Sasori frowned and apologized, but the man just told him it wasn't his fault. Sasori pushed another button and saw what had gone wrong. "I'm assuming the previous owner liked living in an igloo, because he had this thing permanently set to fifty degrees fahrenheit." his new neighbor scoffed in disbelief. "Had a code set up and everything, but he put up a sticky note so the new owner could probably reset it."

"Could you do me a favor and just take that code thing off? The thermostat doesn't have braille, un." he was rubbing his forehead and facing away like he was ashamed.

Sasori cleared his throat. "Of course, how high?"

"Seventy is good, thanks, un." the blond faced Sasori's direction though his eyes were not quite on target.

Sasori still didn't know how to feel about his behavior just a few hours ago, but he seemed to get over it for now. He slid the dial over to seventy degrees and left it at that. "All done. Is there anything else?"

The man smiled very slightly, nearly in exhaustion but also in appreciation. "I feel like an asshole, I didn't even ask you what your name was, un."

Sasori almost stuck his hand out for an introduction. "Sasori, my name's Sasori Akasuna."

The blond's eyes widened a bit and his cheeks flushed just barely. "I'm Deidara Iwa. It's… thank you for helping me again, Sasori." Deidara walked by Sasori quickly and turned to go into the kitchen but he ended up crashing into the wall, misjudging the distance of the hall. "Shit, un," he moaned as he rubbed his face.

"Are you okay?" Sasori wondered what had made him care so much. He walked up to his neighbor.

Deidara nodded, not lifting his face from his hands. "Yes, I'm fine, un. Just not used to this new place yet is all." he brought his head up a little, his smile a little mirthful.

Sasori shifted on the carpet a little. "Okay, well if you need anything else, feel free to come knocking, all right?" Deidara began walking to the door again, this time having his hands brush agains things so he knew where he was headed.

Sasori followed him and stood behind him as Deidara stood by the door. "Thank you, Sasori, un," he hummed towards the end, finally opening the door and stepping out of the way.

Sasori stepped through the doorway and said his goodbyes, Deidara repeating them before the blond closed the door.

The walk back to Sasori's apartment seemed to take a mile as Sasori tried to process all of what just happened. The chances of the universe doing this to him were so very slim, but maybe they were trying to teach him a lesson? Don't judge! Something like that.

As soon as he got inside, Kuro meowed up at him and Sasori trudged past her to go back to his laptop, seeing that it had gone to sleep. He sat down and stared at the screen for two minutes before moving the curser with his index finger. Another minute passed before he began typing again.

–

He didn't see Deidara often. Sasori's hours for work were very unusual, and he only left his apartment when he was called up to look at a new piece someone put together, or if he needed food, but both were normally achieved in the same trip. It was two days before Sasori left the building and Kuro kept meowing at him, obviously wanting to go outside and run around a bit. Once Sasori opened the sliding glass door, she was out on the little section of lawn that he deemed his own. Kuro took one look at him and took off into the bushes.

Shaking his head, Sasori closed the door, knowing that he would be awaiting her return with paws on the glass in five minutes. As he was about to pour himself a cup of coffee, his phone buzzed in the pocket of his jeans and Sasori grumbled a swear as he fished it out.

"Akasuna," he said into the receiver.

One minute later he was running around his apartment, swearing to high heaven as he stubbed his toe against the coffee table as he reached for one of his journals. He only had five minutes to change out of his worn shirt and into something more respectable with a blazer thrown over it.

He was taming his hair when he realized that his feline friend was still outside. He took quick steps to his back porch and opened the door to see that she was nowhere within his field of vision. He seriously considered leaving her outside for a few hours but the last two times that happened, a neighbor kid found her and tried to throw her off the three story flat that she lived in. The other time, Kuro got into someone else's home and their dog went on a rampage trying to get her. Animal control was called and Sasori was left off with a warning. And people say that cats are easy to take care of.

He called for Kuro and a few neighbors looked out their windows to peer at him curiously but all Sasori could do was ignore them and go back inside. He checked his wristwatch and saw he had to be heading on the bus now or start sprinting. Sasori resisted the urge to kick something before he grabbed his laptop bag and stormed out of his apartment, keeping it unlocked.

He knew he should probably go to someone else, but the last time he asked the teenage neighbor girl to watch his cat, she threw a poorly planned party, seeming to forget that he would be back at the end of the day.

Sasori knocked on the door and a minute passed by before Deidara opened it. "Hello, un?"

"Hi, it's Sasori, listen, I'm a little busy and I need someone to let my cat in while I'm gone. She'll be back in about a half hour, do you think you can do that? She meows very loudly and paws at the door." Sasori didn't hide his hurried behavior as he checked his watch again. Thirty seconds had passed.

Deidara looked a little overwhelmed and he opened his mouth, probably to come up with an excuse and Sasori exhaled softly, his expression falling into one of displeasure.

"Please? If you need money–"

"No-no, it's not that, it's just," Deidara broke off before sighing and nodding. "Okay, sure I guess it's fine, un." He reached for something beside him and Sasori realized it was his cane and keys. Sasori stepped out of his way as Deidara left his apartment and locked his door.

Sasori went to his apartment and opened the door, stepping in and waiting for Deidara. "The layout of my apartment is very similar to yours, the sliding glass door is in the same place. There is coffee if you want any, cups on the counter by the sink. My cat's name is Kuro so if she doesn't come near you just call her that. Thank you, but I really need to leave now."

Deidara answered a quick affirmative and Sasori set out to the new gallery opening which foretold if he got to keep his job or not. He just hoped that he didn't make the wrong decision with letting Deidara into his life.

–

When Sasori came back to his flat seven hours later, he just wanted to kick off his devil shoes and fall into bed. He wouldn't even care if Kuro jumped in as well. As soon as he opened the door, he was taken by the sight of Deidara on his couch with Kuro purring on his lap. He watched from afar, his head lifting slightly as he watched the two of them.

The sunset made Deidara's hair shine brighter, skin slightly flushed, probably from the light through the window. His eyes were closed as he pet Kuro and he would have made more observations if Deidara hadn't spoken.

"Are you coming inside, un?"

Sasori cleared his throat and stepped in, closing the door behind him with a definite _click_. "Did she come back later than expected?" Sasori stepped into the living room, undoing the buttons on his blazer after taking off his laptop bag and setting it down next to the coffee table.

Deidara's grin was a little mischievous. "No, she came back ten minutes after you left. At first she wouldn't come in but when she did, she stayed as far away from me as possible, un. An hour later she wouldn't get off and," he laughed gently. "Here we are, un. Sorry for staying for longer than expected, but she wouldn't stop meowing once I opened the door to leave, un."

Sasori glared at his cat who seemed to smirk up at him. He did not need this, but with what Deidara did… "Wait, you were here this whole time? Did you at least eat anything?"

Deidara hummed. "I found some crackers in your cupboard and had a cup of coffee, un."

Sasori swore and fell into the armchair that sat facing the sofa that Deidara occupied. "Well that was very rude of me," he muttered as he continued to stare at Deidara. Freckle on his right collarbone. "Can I buy you dinner for a compensation? Crackers aren't really a meal."

Deidara pursed his lips and his brow was furrowed. "I don't need any help you know, un."

Sasori nearly scoffed. "Never said you did. I just think it would be nice since you've been cooped up in here for seven hours with no food and a cat whose needs match that of an infant's." Kuro peered at him out of the corner of her slitted eyes before laying herself down onto Deidara again.

Deidara was tired, that was evident. Sasori wanted to see him in a livelier state; this one didn't suit him very well and he had a strong feeling in his gut that it had something to do with him.

"It'd be my treat, and to be honest, I'm starving. I was stuck in a building with too many critics to be able breathe."

Deidara's head snapped towards Sasori's direction. "What kind of critics?"

Sasori practically sank into his chair, his whole body slouched as he answered. "Art, most of them retired, but that painter Sai was in town and everyone wanted a good look at what new thing he came up with."

"Sai Anbu, un?"

Sasori nodded to himself as he closed his eyes, the remaining sunlight washing over him. "Yeah, the guy's a sociopath but his paintings are freaking magnificent."

"Sounds like a fun guy, un. Do you usually hang out with these types of people?" Deidara chuckled briefly.

Sasori smiled without humor. "I haven't left my apartment in two days, and only had to because my career depended on it. Plus you are the last person I've talked to in the past four days."

Deidara bit his lip to hide his smile. "Well your job sounds very exciting. Did Sai come up with anything worth looking at, un?"

Sasori stayed silent to gather his thoughts. "Yes, it was a flawless mess as usual. I haven't seen a painter like him for a long time."

"What did it look like, un?"

Sasori could tell that Deidara was holding back his excitement and the critic wanted to see more from him. He began telling Deidara his observations, his own opinions, taking out one of his journals to take more notes on things he hadn't picked up on before. He had never spoken about his thoughts before. It was strange to say the very least.

An hour passed by and Sasori barely noticed that the sun had set, but when he heard Deidara's stomach growl, he felt something akin to guilt stab into his stomach and it made him want to vomit. He had never had that reaction before. Maybe he was the sociopath.

"I'm sorry, I've kept you here longer than was necessary."

Deidara yawned and waved his hand through the air. "No, it's fine, but I do think it's time for me to be heading home now, un." he touched his wristwatch and Sasori knew that there was braille there.

"It's a little too late for dinner, so how about I take you out tomorrow?" Sasori stood up and picked up Kuro who had fallen asleep by Deidara's legs.

Deidara was still trying to conceal his grin as he stood up, cane in hand. "I guess that's fine, un. What time?"

"Seven good?" Sasori went to his door to open it for Deidara and he turned around to see the blond following him.

"Perfect. Dress casual, un?"

Sasori hummed his affirmative. "I'll come and get you at seven."

Deidara walked through the threshold. "I'll see you then, un." he walked to his apartment and Sasori didn't close the door until he saw that Deidara had gotten inside. He closed the door, lost inside his own mind as Kuro struggled to get out of his arms.

"What did I just do?"

Kuro chirped as she jumped away from him and headed to his bedroom. It seemed he would have a bedmate tonight.

**Review?**


	2. Middle

**Critiques? Suggestions? Something that I can improve on? Shout it out!**

Sai had left Konoha quickly, as he tended to do whenever he made an appearance, so most artists tried to lay low, not wanting to show anything for fear that they would be compared to the prodigy. This gave Sasori at least two weeks of free time, and even though the money stopped coming in for those two weeks, it gave him time to work on his own hobbies.

Sasori liked to work with wood mostly, being taught at a very young age how to make puppets, but when he was feeling creative he would try his hand at painting. Granted it wasn't as structured as he was used to, it was something that kept him open-minded which, let's be honest, he wasn't ever.

It was around noon when Sasori was cleaning up, paint staining his hands as he frowned down at his fingernails, tinges of greens and blues hiding deep in cuticles. He left his spare room to see that Kuro was pawing at the door and meowing for all her worth.

Sasori narrowed his eyes and walked over to the sliding glass door, leaning against it as he peered down at the feline. "Will you come back this time?"

Kuro continued to yowl, hell bent on ignoring Sasori. Rolling his eyes, Sasori opened the door and closed it once Kuro had slipped through the tiny opening he had made. He continued to clean up, washing his paintbrushes in the kitchen sink while also scrubbing at his fingernails.

Ten minutes had passed and Kuro hadn't come back from her little expedition and Sasori knew that he would have to look for her soon in about a half hour. In the meantime though, he finished tidying up his home and even started another review on Sai's new paintings as soon as he had finished revising the last one. The last painting he had made was obviously connected to family and what Sasori assumed was an estranged sibling, though no one knew anything about Sai, so anything was possible.

Sasori had another ten minutes before he had to look for his feline friend when there was a knock on the door. Sasori considered his options carefully. No one ever bothered him often and he wasn't even late on the rent this month. With how many times scam artists have tried to con Sasori, the critic found it best to not answer the door. If it was important, they would knock again.

Precisely a minute later, the knocking started again and Sasori wanted to know who was so persistent as to keep bothering him. Walking through the kitchen, he went to the door and stood over the 'guest' imposingly.

"Hello, un. Your cat came to my door."

Sasori nearly deflated once he saw it was Deidara. He had all ready forgotten about him to be honest, and even their plans for that night. A strange transition from his behavior before.

He then noticed that Kuro was struggling in Deidara's arm and yowling, probably asking Deidara why he had brought her back to her now previous owner.

Sasori quickly took Kuro from Deidara, sending her a glare that should have set the fur ball on fire but she scampered out of his arms and into another room before anything ever happened.

"Sorry, I was letting her out for some air and was going to look for her in a little bit. When did she stop by?"

"About a half hour ago, un," Deidara said.

Sasori noticed Deidara's nose twitch and his neighbor almost turned his head towards the scent.

"Were you just painting, un?"

Sasori's eyes went a little wider than his usual half-lidded stare. "Yes, I was. Excuse me for asking, but when I came over I saw that you had clay left out, the kind of clay from the store on Second. Are you an artist as well?"

A grin grew on Deidara's face and Sasori could practically feel the excitement pouring off of the man. "Un!" Sasori realized that was Deidara's yes. "I didn't know that you painted, un. Aren't you just a critic?"

Sasori nodded his head as he answered. "Well, yes, that's what I do for a living, but I also dabble in arts myself, but mostly woodwork. Puppets to be more precise."

Deidara wanted to say more but he cut himself off. "Uh, sorry I'm getting off topic, but I actually came over here to tell you that I can't do dinner tonight, un."

Sasori smirked. "Not to return my cat?"

"That, too," Deidara confirmed with a small pout.

"Well then do you want to go out to lunch? We could talk some more," Sasori offered and Deidara was obviously trying to compose himself and not let his enthusiasm show too much.

"That'd be great. Could we go in about ten minutes, un?"

"Sure, I'll come get you then." Sasori felt Kuro nudge his leg and he pushed her back inside.

"Okay, see you in a few, un," Deidara called as he walked back to his apartment.

Sasori closed the door and sent a furious scowl towards his cat who just stared back with equal disdain. "You little shit, why the hell did you fucking go over there?" he rarely swore, but this fur ball was really starting to grate on his nerves.

She just gave him a look that said, "I did what I had to do." and pranced off to the living room, probably to destroy Sasori's furniture.

Ignoring Kuro, Sasori changed into something more appropriate than paint-stained sweats and a worn t-shirt with his old college logo on it. He didn't want to get dressed unless it was something he actually called for.

Soon, he was in jeans and a non-descript purple t-shirt. He left some food for Cat before he scrubbed at his fingernails harder, trying to get the paint stains off. He had planned on having a shower before going out with Deidara, but that plan was gone now because Sasori couldn't control his fucking impulse to be near Deidara. He had almost forgotten his first impression of him. Almost. And Sasori still felt like a dick.

_Maybe that's why I'm getting close to him. To show him that I am _not _a total asshole and proving it to him. _Sasori thought even though he knew Deidara did not read his mind and immediately think of him was a jerk. He still veered to the side of caution.

Before Sasori headed out, he made sure that Kuro had water but the feline just regarded him with a cold stare. When Sasori got to Deidara's apartment, he knocked and waited a minute for his neighbor to come out.

"Sorry, I was on the phone with a friend, un," Deidara said as he walked through the doorway, cane in hand. He locked his door and turned towards the exit. "So where are we going, un?"

Sasori began walking and Deidara followed after two steps. "Have you ever had a gyro?" Sasori asked as he opened the door for Deidara.

"God, yes. I can't remember when I haven't had one, un," Deidara answered with a hum.

Sasori gave a small smile as they stopped at a crosswalk. "Well we don't have to take the bus to get some, but the walk is a little over fifteen minutes." He pushed the button and waited for the little sign to show when it was safe to walk.

"That's fine, more time to talk, un."

So they talked. Sasori tried to steer the conversation towards Deidara, wanting to know more about him, his clay, why he had such an interest in art as well. In the little gaps when neither of them talked, Sasori took the chance to look at Deidara.

He ignored most of the physical characteristics besides his countenance. Deidara's expressions were so animated that Sasori knew that it would take hundreds of brush strokes to capture the whole magnitude his enthusiasm. A lot of the time, Deidara's hands would move as well and sometimes his cane would smack into a pole or a trash can while they walked.

Sasori wasn't worried for Deidara's safety, he knew that the man could take care of himself but one time it was necessary to jump in when a biker was coming up the sidewalk so quickly, that Sasori barely had enough time to move out of the way, pulling Deidara with him.

"The hell was that, un?" Deidara asked in poorly concealed fear that soon turned into anger. He was gripping Sasori's arms so tightly, the critic wouldn't even have to look at Deidara to understand his shock.

"A biker who wasn't using the bike lanes," Sasori said, a scoff soon following it. "You okay?" he asked, looking down at Deidara who managed to detach himself from Sasori.

"Yeah, just scared the shit outta me, un. People like that piss me off."

Sasori nodded as they got back onto the sidewalk, standing a little closer to Deidara than before. And if Deidara noticed it, he didn't say anything which was just fine.

As soon as they stepped into the Greek restaurant, Sasori led Deidara to the counter. "Have you been here before?"

Deidara shook his head. "What kind of meats do they have here, un?"

Sasori listed off a half-dozen and Deidara chose chicken whilst Sasori selected lamb. They chose a table to sit at as they waited for their food to arrive. Even though they talked most of the time, Sasori could not prevent his leg from bouncing, his index finger tapping against the table top as well.

Deidara tilted his head a little, his eyes not quite on target. "I'm guessing you don't like waiting, un."

Sasori stopped his movements and Deidara snickered.

As they began to talk, Sasori noticed little things about Deidara. He had a great sense of humor, followed by passion for many things but his art was nearly at the top of the list. He wasn't necessarily a smart-ass but he had wit, Sasori would give him that. Another thing that Sasori noticed was that he was always smiling. It made him wonder what had made Deidara so upset the time he fixed his thermostat. It couldn't have just been that his apartment was too cold.

Five minutes later, their gyros came and the pair ate in content. Sasori hadn't had real food in nearly a week, living off of raw fruits and veggies with the occasional bowl of instant ramen noodles. Sasori had to pace himself as he ate so he wouldn't become too full too quickly, but Deidara ate with vigor, moaning as he did so. The sounds nearly sent Sasori jolting out of his seat.

After they had finished eating, Sasori had a little over a quarter of his gyro left, but Deidara's was nearly gone, a few scraps left over. They had spoken in between bites and once the bill came, Sasori grabbed it and stuck his credit card in as the waiter took it away.

Deidara's eyes narrowed. "Did the bill just come, un?"

"Yes," Sasori said smoothly. "Now you were saying something about ephemeral–"

"Sasori, I could have paid for myself, un," Deidara hissed and he reminded Sasori of a very upset cat.

"I know you can, Deidara, I'm paying because you spent nearly eight hours taking care of my cat, and I didn't even pay you. This was supposed to be compensation."

Deidara appeared to be a little less upset, but Sasori could tell that he was still unsettled. "So you didn't really want to just hang out, un?"

Sasori immediately picked up Deidara's mood. His posture was slighter slouched, his arms crossed, head turned away from Sasori. Insecure, guarded, unease or distrust in Sasori. Deidara was not very skilled at schooling his emotions and Sasori saw how much this situation bothered him.

"I did," Sasori said with a level tone, nearly monotonous. "But I just needed an excuse to do so."

Deidara's posture loosened up slightly and he turned towards Sasori, just a fraction. He was blushing. From anger, embarrassment, or just plain infatuation, Sasori didn't know. He blinked at the last suggestion. Sometimes he didn't even catch himself thinking strange things at times.

"Do you still want to hang out or did you have plans later on?"

Deidara felt his wrist watch, his brow furrowed. "I actually need to start heading back now. My sister will be over in about a half hour, un."

"That's fine," he replied as he got his credit card back. They left with full bellies but unsettled minds. Deidara seemed almost uncomfortable now and Sasori honestly didn't know what to do. It nearly hurt him to see that Deidara was back to this gloomy self of his.

_It will pass__,_ Sasori assured himself. Why he needed to reassure himself in the first place, he didn't know.

Five minutes into their walk, they were back to their previous conversation.

"Your view on art is very… I'm sorry, but I feel like I cannot even call it art," Sasori confessed and Deidara gave an exaggerated gasp.

"Aren't you supposed to, I don't know, keep on open mind about other artists, un?" Deidara smacked his arm with the back of his hand.

"Hey, I just write about what I see. Sometimes I ask the artist about the piece and try to see it from their point of view. But sometimes it doesn't seem like they put much effort into it, or they just made it out of boredom. No soul, if you will. And that's why I think that destroying something isn't art. What's the point of putting so much effort into making something when you just break it in the end?"

Deidara's exhale almost sounded like a chuckle. "God, in your reviews you sounded like an asshole; I can see that it's true now, un."

They had to stop at a crosswalk and Sasori took a chance to take in Deidara's expression. He didn't seem worried, like he had given something away, but Sasori knew that he was trying to act cool.

He smirked. "So you've read some of my reviews?"

Deidara rubbed the back of his neck as he craned his head to some sound across the street. "A few, un. My sister, she works at a this printing press in Iwagakure, and sometimes she'll look through a few magazines or newspapers that she thinks I like. She prints them in braille for me, un. I've read a couple of your reviews on some artists and I have to say–" Deidara breathed a laugh before continuing. "A little harsh, but the detail is amazing, un. Sometimes it's like seeing again," he said something akin to wistfulness.

Sasori's smirk died down into a light smile, filled with mirth. "I'm glad that they make you happy. At least that makes one person," Sasori joked as he elbowed Deidara lightly, the man seeming to remember where he was and jolting a little bit. "A lot of people don't like the reviews I make about them, but then again, I'm always spot on."

Deidara cleared his throat, now seeming to be back in the present. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to act like a stalker, I just really liked your writing, un," he said quickly.

Sasori shrugged his shoulders as the light finally turned green for them. They began to walk. "Well you didn't know it was me when you came knocking on my door. Not stalkerish at all, just a very lucky coincidence if you ever plan on stalking me. I'm flattered by the way," Sasori said smugly.

Deidara snorted. "Yeah, you're an asshole," he confirmed. "Plus I think there would be a problem with stalking you, I'm not as agile as I seem, un." Deidara waved a hand in front of his eyes, grinning like an idiot.

Sasori rolled his eyes and pulled Deidara closer to his body with his shirt so he wouldn't trip over the curb which was higher than usual. "Little details, I'm sure we'll make it work."

Deidara's shoulders shook with laughter. "Maybe I can tie a string to you, un? You wouldn't notice, would you?"

"Nah, I don't think I would."

They continued to joke a little bit more and Sasori tried not to worry of what Deidara thought about him. He knew him before they even met. Sasori knew that people read his columns and reviews but he mostly assumed that they were hipsters or shut-ins like him. Deidara wasn't extolling over him like a crazed fan, he had merely said that he had read his organized thoughts. It made Sasori think about the night before, when he had told Deidara his opinion about Sai's new work. Someone was interested in his writings. It nearly made him nervous.

When Deidara was just about finished with describing his view on art, they came to the apartment building. Sasori was shocked to see that someone was already at Deidara's door.

"There you are! We're supposed to be at Mom and Dad's in like ten minutes…" she trailed off when she saw Sasori. "Did you go out?"

Deidara scoffed and stopped in front of his door. "Yes, I went out to lunch with a friend, un. This is Sasori. Sasori, this is my sister, Ino un. And I can't get ready if you're standing in front of my door, like a blond bimbo."

The tips of Ino's ears flushed with anger. "God, you're such a dick sometimes. And you wouldn't even know if I had blond hair anymore, stupid."

"The last time you dyed your hair, you told me as you were getting it dyed. How you managed to get your phone to work in that machine, I will never know, un. Now scoot." He used his cane to smack her away to open the door. Ino huffed, and ignored him before introducing herself to Sasori.

"Hi, sorry about that, we're kind of in a hurry and I thought he would be here by now."

Sasori inclined his head lightly. "Sorry for the delay, we just went to get a bite for lunch since dinner didn't work out."

Ino turned a clever eye to Deidara, a leer lighting up her features. "Dinner?" she raised a brow, her tone insinuating every possible thing that would involve an intimate relationship.

"Go get my jacket, un," Deidara ordered as he pushed Ino into his apartment. She just laughed as she began walking towards his bedroom.

Deidara turned back to Sasori. "I'm not even going to apologize for her bad attitude, un."

Sasori chuckled lowly. "It's fine, though I can see the similarities between you two; mostly the bad attitude."

Deidara gave a faux gape. "I have been nothing but kind to you, Sasori, un."

"Sure," Sasori replied, seeing Ino coming back in the corner of his eye. "It seems that you have to go now, but we should hang out again soon. Preferably before my cat claws my face off," he said with a light tone, though no smile lit his face.

Deidara laughed gently. "You're a lot funnier than you sound. I bet if you smiled more, you would get better, un."

Sasori opened his mouth to ask how Deidara knew if he was smiling or not, but Ino closed the apartment door and grabbed Deidara's elbow.

"'Kay let's go."

"Bye, Sasori," Deidara waved before turning around and heading out the exit with his sister.

Sasori let himself ponder a few more thoughts about Deidara before heading back into his apartment. A good day so far.

–

A week and a half passed before Sasori had seen Deidara again, and it was just a passing in the halls of their building. Sasori didn't know what occupation Deidara had, because he had never bothered to ask, but he saw that Deidara had at least a backpack with him most of the time.

Sasori wished that his thoughts weren't plagued with Deidara anymore because it wasn't only starting to affect his non-existant life, but also his work. He still had to make two more reviews on Sai by the end of the day for two separate magazines, but he couldn't get his head focused, especially with Kuro yowling at the sliding glass door. He was going to get a complaint from a neighbor soon.

He had turned off his cellphone and avoided looking at his emails from his agent, Konan, so he could have some peace and quiet while he sat at his laptop and type something, anything out. Ten minutes passed by and he had nothing.

In the end, he ended up ignoring his work to pay more attention to his puppets. The smell of varnish nearly soothed him, but he usually had to have a window open if he didn't want to pass out from the fumes.

He was blowing some woody dust from an arm that he just sanded when Kuro jumped onto the table, right next to his circular power saw. He ignored the cat in favor of staring down the wood to see if it was smoothed out completely, not noticing that the feline jumped off the table, knocking over the saw and switching it on, startling Sasori. If the noise didn't make him jump, then the saw cutting into him did.

"Fucking hell!" He jumped out of his seat and he clutched at his left forearm as blood gushed from the wound. The saw still raged on the table, destroying the arm he had been working on and he kicked at the plug in the wall with his foot, until it fell out.

He was panting harshly and wincing as blood slipped through his fingers and dropped onto the floor. He moved his hand a little to see the damage and the blood fell in puddles. He covered his arm again, wincing harshly as he looked for his phone.

Kuro was nowhere within sight and he assumed that the noise scared the living daylights out of her as well. Poor thing.

Sasori managed to find his cellphone on the coffee table but when he flipped it over with his foot, he saw that it was powerless. A sweat was beginning to break out on Sasori's forehead and he knew that he couldn't really dial the hospital with his laptop, at least he didn't know if it was possible. He went to the kitchen and found a dish towel worthy enough of covering his arm for the meantime.

He saw Kuro at the sliding glass door and she stared at him before pawing at it. Swearing, Sasori opened it and she jumped out, automatically going to the porch three doors over. Sasori knew that he should just go to the front office, but if he got blood on their carpets as well, he knew that he would be fined.

Shaking his head, Sasori found his keys and somehow got them into his pocket, before going through the door to follow his cat. When he reached Deidara's porch, the man was already opening the door as Kuro slid past his legs.

"Sorry, she just wanted to get out," Sasori apologized, before hissing, "or in, I suppose." his arm ached in pulses. "Hey, can you do me a favor?"

Deidara seemed slightly startled with Sasori's abrupt approach but he just hummed an affirmative.

"Can you call me an ambulance? Or at least find someone to take me to the hospital?"

Deidara's eyes widened. "What happened, un?"

"I think my cat is the reincarnation of the devil, is what happened. She managed to turn on my saw and my arm is pretty torn up." he breathed through his nose carefully and Deidara immediately jumped into action.

"Holy shit, get in here before you fucking bleed out, un!" Deidara moved out of the way as Sasori stepped in and Deidara leg him to his bathroom where he got a towel. Sasori moved the rag and took the new towel, pressing it to his arm, groaning as he did so.

"I'm going to get a phone now… stay here, un," Deidara ordered and Sasori rolled his eyes with a hum.

Deidara came back a half minute later and he dialed a number which redirected him to the hospital. When he explained the situation, Sasori leaned against the wall and tried to ignore the blood soaking through the towel. More pressure.

"They're on their way," Deidara confirmed, his voice slightly tremulous and Sasori looked over at him. His hands were shaking and his forehead was beading with perspiration.

"Thanks," Sasori said as he stood by the sink so he wouldn't get more blood on Deidara's things. "My phone was dead and I don't think any cabs would take me the way I am."

Deidara was biting the knuckle on his finger. "I'm sorry that I can't do anymore, un."

Sasori looked back at Deidara and he frowned. "This is enough, trust me. The bill will kill me but I'd rather not lose an arm."

Deidara hummed and he shifted a little to the side and Sasori saw that Kuro was rubbing against his neighbor's leg. If looks could kill...

"You said your cat did this, un?"

Sasori sighed and knew that if he had enough blood, he would be blushing. "My power saw is very sensitive it appears, but yes she did and I wasn't paying attention." he continued to stare at Deidara and he could barely stop the words from spilling out of his mouth. "You never told me what you did, by the way."

Deidara seemed jolted out of his thoughts and his brow furrowed. "What, un?"

Sasori bit his lip knew that he was just being a creep now. "A job? I don't know, I'm trying to distract myself."

Deidara crossed his arms and turned his face to the right a little, away from Sasori. "Uh, I-I'm an accountant." he cleared his throat. "Not the funnest job but I have a head for numbers believe it or not," he chuckled with little humor. "I would like to make a living off of sculpting but it's hard to make it big or even sell a stupid thing- are you sure you're okay, un? Do you need anything else?"

Sasori winced and he tried not to show how shallow his breathing was becoming. "Another towel, and I know this is a weird to ask, but my other hand is becoming numb and I can't hold the towel anymore."

Deidara snapped to attention. "Yeah yeah, un." he quickly grabbed another towel and Sasori moved the first one in time to have Deidara press the fresh one on. Sasori could barely feel it. Luckily Kuro had left the room so Sasori couldn't kick her.

Deidara wrapped the towel around his arm and he applied pressure. "That good, un?"

Sasori's eyes were starting to droop, and he wasn't sure if the blood loss was making him soporific or not. "Mhm, do you mind if I sit down?" he was already sliding down the wall, Deidara following him to the floor, making sure to keep the pressure tight.

Deidara began to talk, telling Sasori about his job, why he moved to Konoha, mostly to get away from family. He told him about some sculptures he actually didn't destroy and that they were in his room at the moment. Deidara made him talk as well, to show that he was still alive and at times, the critic would give his opinion on some things as well. "Maybe you add too much water?" "That happens when you try to use your oven as a kiln for that type of clay." "If you want my cat, you're free to take her." the last one made Deidara laugh.

Deidara ended up telling Sasori about how he became blind, trying to reassure him that what Sasori did wasn't as stupid as what the sculptor had done in the past. "I've always loved fireworks, and when I was eight, I decided to get into my parents stash that they had for New Years, un. I went outside had everything ready, but the fireworks were faulty, and they went off too early. The next thing I remember was being on the ground and hearing my mom screaming from the house, but what shocked me the most was that I couldn't see the sky, un," Deidara said, his voice trailing off, like it was that moment that ruined him for life. "I loved the sky, un…"

It was nearly fifteen minutes later when the paramedics came and Sasori was so out of it that he barely noticed that he was being put on a stretcher. He vaguely heard the conversations between Deidara and the paramedics.

"Does he live here?"

"No, he's my neighbor, un. He came over because his phone wasn't working."

Sasori could almost hear the paramedic's speculation. "_You _dialed the hospital?"

Sasori began laughing, knowing that Deidara was going to get offended in a few seconds. "Yes, believe it or not, I can do that. Now is he going to be okay, un?"

"Yes, we just need to get him to the hospital quickly for some stitches and possibly a blood transfusion, but he will be fine. Thank you for all your help."

Sasori didn't remember anything else.

**Review?**


	3. End

**If anyone is curious, there may be another part of this story (probably 3 chapters as well), but it does not relate to this one at all, just another idea that I had.**

–One week later–

Sasori managed to get another box taped before the entire dispenser ran out. His bandages were itching like crazy again, but he had clipped his nails almost to the point of pain to avoid doing further damaged to his stitches.

He was writing on the box when a knock sounded on his door. Sasori checked the time and realized that Deidara was early. Standing up, he headed to the entryway and opened the door, finding Deidara standing there, looking a little less than uncomfortable.

"Hi, come in, I just need to grab my jacket." Sasori left the door open for his neighbor and Deidara stepped in with an unenthusiastic sigh.

"Why can't we just go to dinner, un?" Deidara was crossing his arms when Sasori came back from his room, the blond holding his folded up cane in his right hand. He was dressed up for the occasion, but he still looked upset.

"Because that's boring, and we can talk more while we're at the gallery. Besides, food costs too much money," Sasori explained as he walked towards the door, putting his hand on the small of Deidara's back to lead him out. The man didn't seem to mind as he was being corralled out to the hall.

"People are just going to stare, un," he groused and Sasori scoffed as they began walking side-by-side.

"Not like you're going to notice." Deidara punched him in the shoulder for that and actually managed to get a good hit in.

"Hey, you almost hit my stitches, you brat."

"No, I didn't, you ass. They're on your other arm, un," Deidara said, brushing some of his hair away from his shoulder. Now that Sasori spent more time with his neighbor, he realized his usual hairstyle was a ponytail with a large portion of hair hanging in front of the left side of his face. "This is stupid and don't try to say otherwise, un."

Sasori's brow furrowed in frustration. "I thought you wanted to do this."

"No, I wanted to read some of your reviews, not have you actually take me to a freaking art gallery, un."

They finally got out of the apartment complex where a cab was waiting for them.

Deidara continued to complain, and Sasori wondered if he hoped to talk enough to discourage the critic from taking him. "It's pointless, I can't see shit–"

"Then I will be your eyes, alright? Jesus, hearing you grumble about this is really putting a damper on things. Especially when I'm usually the one who rains on everyone's parade."

That seemed to shut Deidara up momentarily. He was currently glaring at his lap where his hands and folded up cane rested. "This is a fucking waste of time, un," he grumbled.

Sasori rolled his eyes. "Yeah, only I can say that, so shut up and deal with it."

Deidara refused to talk the rest of the way to the gallery, and once the taxi stopped, he jumped out while Sasori payed for the fare. He couldn't go far as he was still unfamiliar to the city, but he still managed to get half a block away.

Sasori caught up to him and put an arm around his shoulders just to spite him. "You know we're actually heading towards the gallery now?"

Deidara grumbled something and shook off his arm. "Fine, let's get this over with, un."

They got to the building within the minute and as Sasori payed, he noticed the doorman eyeing Deidara, but he didn't say anything. Deidara kept close to Sasori as they stepped in, noticing almost immediately how crowded the gathering was. The blond grabbed Sasori's sleeve, but Sasori took his hand instead and led him to the first painting.

"This one is buy Hidan Yu. You know of him, right?" Sasori looked towards Deidara, who merely nodded.

"Yeah, he did the Reincarnation of Jashin, the God he worships, un."

Sasori almost smiled. "Yes. The size of the canvas is roughly 25'' by 25''. This one makes it look like he had a fit and probably just smashed a paint can into the canvas, but the painting is of a murder, leading to..."

Sasori didn't stop talking as he stared at the painting, describing it to his fullest extent, using it's flaws and embellishments as a tool to portray what going on within the splatters. A few people paused at their viewing and listened to Sasori as he spoke, most of them smiling bashfully, and a few whispered about him, but Sasori's attention was on Deidara.

He leaned towards him when he saw something new to express, squeezing his hand as he did so, and a few times nudged him when he made a joke about something wrong in the painting. Deidara chuckled a few times, and his hand relaxed into Sasori's a little more.

They were standing there for ten minutes and a few of the viewers seemed to notice that Deidara was blind, a few of them whispering for a different reason. Sasori ignored them and finished up his analyses.

"I may write something for you when I get my thoughts more sorted out," Sasori said, as he lead Deidara away from the painting and the small group that had gathered around them. "What else do you want to look at?"

Deidara didn't answer for a moment, but after Sasori squeezed his hand, he managed to open his mouth to say, "A sculptor. Made from clay, un."

Sasori nodded to himself and began to pull Deidara through the crowd. When he found a relatively empty spot near a sculpture, he stood in front of it with Deidara. Again, Sasori started with the artist and the title of the work before describing the basic shape of it, and going into detail from there on.

The next one was a light sculpture and because Deidara had never seen one in his childhood, Sasori spent more time describing the setup until Deidara told him it was okay to go onto other details. He described how the strings were tied to the ceiling and how there were pieces of colored glass hanging from them, a light then shining through those pieces to create an image. This one of a woman staring at the sun.

Deidara kept his hold on Sasori's hand the entire time.

Once when they were moving to the other side of the gallery, someone stopped Sasori to ask for his autograph and Deidara nearly pulled away to give him some space, but Sasori just gripped his hand tighter. He accepted, and signed the magazine the teen held in her hands, taut enough to let him write on it. She peaked a glance at Deidara and when Sasori caught her, she grinned at him, her cheeks flushed as she thanked him and went back to her friends.

The duo stayed close to each other the rest of the night, even when the crowds in the gallery dwindled down to nearly half it's original population. Deidara had nearly forgotten about his previous dilemma and he was genuinely enjoying himself now.

They didn't even talk about the art most of the time. Sasori asked about his cat, which he left in Deidara's care while he was recovering, and Deidara just bragged about how much the feline loved him. Though the topic about Sasori's impending departure came up and the mood was almost soured. Almost.

"You said you already had a place picked out, un?" Deidara asked while he and Sasori rested on a bench outside the art gallery.

Sasori scoffed, "Yeah, but to be honest, two weeks isn't a very long time to find a new apartment, especially during this season."

Deidara leaned his head against Sasori's shoulder. "They shouldn't kick you out in the first place, un."

Sasori smirked. "Well I did break the rules with having a power saw in my apartment. I should be thankful they aren't fining me for all the blood I spilled." he almost shrugged, but he didn't want to displace Deidara. "They were planning on putting new carpets in that apartment anyway."

Deidara gave a short chuckle. "How convenient, un."

It was nearly midnight when they got back to their apartment complex but Deidara still seemed to be in his chirpy mood from when they left the art gallery. Sasori didn't go back to his apartment right away and took Deidara's invitation for a drink back at his place.

Deidara turned on the lights for Sasori before he moved to hang up his jacket. Sasori took a look around and found Kuro sleeping on his neighbor's couch, looking like she was living the life. Shaking his head, Sasori took a seat at Deidara's counter as the blond brought them cold beers from the refrigerator.

"Thank you for today," Deidara said after he took a large gulp from the aluminum can.

Sasori took a small sip of his drink before answering. "I told you it would be fun."

"No you didn't, un. You basically told me to strap in and deal with what you wanted to do for the night," Deidara scoffed and took a seat next to Sasori, who just shrugged with a lazy smirk.

"But you don't deny having fun?"

"Can't say I do, un."

Sasori fingered the top of his beer. "That's good. When I get the time after my move, I'll write up a few reviews just for you. I actually have a friend at a printing press and he said he might–"

Sasori had to pause as Deidara leaned towards him quickly and gave him a chaste kiss at the corner of his mouth, but his lips remained there and Sasori hoped that Deidara meant to go for his lips. He didn't say anything as he turned his head to the right slightly, just so his lips would match up with Deidara's.

When he felt the other man sigh into the kiss, Sasori took the chance to cup the back of his head with his left hand, using the other one to cup his cheek. When Deidara grabbed his wrists, but didn't push him away, Sasori took that as an okay to go on.

The kiss was relatively slow and neither seemed willing to rush it. Sasori didn't like waiting and he was rather impatient, but you didn't want to scramble through something and miss an important piece. Sasori didn't want to miss any part of kissing Deidara and he could already hear himself thinking.

His lips weren't necessarily full but they were soft, slick with what Sasori assumed was lip balm. When he slid his tongue across Deidara's lips, the man made a broken sound before opening his mouth. Strawberry. But Sasori couldn't concentrate on that as he got to taste Deidara fully now.

Soon, he wasn't able to catalogue anything and he kissed Deidara with full earnest. He didn't even know that he wanted to kiss Deidara but now that he knew what it was like, he didn't want to stop.

Sasori was so invested in the kiss he barely noticed that something jumped onto Deidara, startling the both of them enough, that they actually pulled away from each other, Sasori having to drop his arms.

Deidara was panting lightly, some saliva still on his lips as he felt to see what was on his lap. Kuro meowed up at him and Sasori didn't know how many times he had wished his cat to spontaneously combust these past two weeks.

"Sorry, un," Deidara said lightly and Sasori shook his head.

"She's my cat so I suppose I should take the blame."

Deidara chuckled and pushed the feline off his lap gently. "Well shit, I just jumped in there and I didn't even ask you if you were gay, un."

Sasori gave a light smirk. "Well then you're extremely lucky or have great intuition. Do you perhaps have a gaydar?"

Deidara chortled and shoved at Sasori's good arm. "Yes, you figured it out, that's also how I get around safely. I find the gayest person I can find and cling to them for support."

Sasori chuckled lowly and leaned in towards Deidara again. "Glad that I was chosen then."

Deidara must have heard how close he was because he leaned in the rest of the way. It was more rushed than before and Deidara seemed to be the one who was eager for it, but Sasori pulled away just as his neighbor's fingertips got under his shirt.

"What kind of girl do you take me for?" Sasori said as he continued to smirk at Deidara's flushed face.

The blond practically pouted. "I wasn't even going to go that far, un."

Sasori laughed and cradled Deidara's face in his hands. "I know, and I want to do this as well," he said as he pecked Deidara's lips, quickly enough to not give the blond a chance to react. "But the timing is fucking terrible." he felt Deidara sigh against his lips, in disappointment obviously. "These past few weeks have been great, and in all honesty, I don't really want it to stop."

"We don't have to, un," Deidara replied, moving to grab one of Sasori's hands, holding onto it like an anchor.

Sasori gave a light smile. "No, we don't, and I don't really plan on stopping if you don't. Just until after I move, that would be the ideal time."

Deidara frowned. "Is that why you took me out tonight, un?"

Sasori stroked Deidara's cheek with his thumb. "Yes, I knew that I wouldn't be able to spend a lot of time with you after today, but once things are settled it will be easier to be together."

Deidara huffed. "I don't want to wait, un," he groused and Sasori chuckled deep in his throat before nuzzling Deidara's cheek, the blond moving towards the motion as well, reciprocating it.

"I hate waiting, too, but it'll be worth it."

Deidara sighed and fell into Sasori, his nose brushing against Sasori's neck. "It better be, un."

–

Sasori groaned as he received yet another email from his agent, who was demanding another review that he had agreed to write. He wasn't even into architecture but the owner of the building wanted him to do a column about it, but all Sasori could come up with was that the river in the hotel lobby was cliché.

Sasori had already sent Konan three emails trying to get her to renegotiate the terms of the review, perhaps another building or an actual peace of art, but the woman was fighting him tooth and nail.

The critic ran his hand over his face and he stared at his laptop until a hand reached over and closed it.

"You get stressed out too much, is this still about the building, un?"

Sasori watched Deidara go around him to enter the kitchen, probably to get a snack, and frowned.

"Yes, Konan still wants me to do more critiques on what she quotes as, 'normal things' no matter how much I have refused to in the past." he opened up his laptop again to stare at her email again.

Deidara merely shrugged as he filled up a glass of water, taking a swig of it. Sasori saw his hands were covered in remains from clay, smudging the cup he held. "Just do a few and see if you like it, un. If you don't, you can tell her that."

Sasori hummed. "You've met her and you know how recalcitrant she is. I once suggested going to another magazine because they offered a good price and she wrote me a novel about why they were a terrible choice. She didn't even add pros to it, so it was obviously biased."

Deidara chuckled and walked over to the table, sitting next to Sasori and leaning next to him, the critic wrapping an arm around his waist.

They had been going steady for six months. Sasori was practically moved into Deidara's apartment with how little time he spent at his own, but nothing was official yet. Surprisingly, Kuro stayed with Deidara, though the blond had renamed the cat Kurotsuchi because he thought the name suited her better.

Though in the past half year, the two of them had become closer and Sasori couldn't describe his attraction towards Deidara. He had tried writing about it, making outlines and almost started making a graph at one point, but nothing explained his feelings. It was in this instance that words could not portray his perception of Deidara. At one point, he told the other man this and Deidara just laughed, saying that it was probably a good thing because it meant there were more things to be discovered.

At one point, Sasori had confessed that the first time he saw Deidara was the day they met, when they were both on the bus.

"You actually bumped into me and I was about to snap until I saw you were blind," Sasori admitted and Deidara snorted.

"Aw, you are nice when you feel guilty, huh?"

It didn't put a damper on their relationship that Deidara was impaired and it seemed rather natural for Sasori to live with Deidara. The blond could take care of himself easily, but Sasori still had the urge to do things for him, not because of his lack of sight, just because he thought Deidara deserved it.

"Everyone needs someone to take care of them every once and while. You are entitled to be a spoiled brat, too, you know." Deidara had scoffed at him but he didn't say anything else as his cheeks became flushed.

When walking on the streets, a few saw them as an odd couple and some of Sasori's friends had asked how it worked between them. He was unsure of how to answer, Deidara saying it was a first, but luckily the blond had replied, saying, "It's easy, he washes the dishes and I dry them, un."

A few had asked a few more intimate questions and Sasori was almost surprised with Deidara's extensive vocabulary as he described sex between the two of them. Most of the time he was spot on. Sasori even joked to his lover that he should become an erotica writer but Deidara merely said he would only be critiqued on his writings so it was no use. He then added that demonstrations were much easier to portray.

"Are you going to take me to bed, un?" Deidara asked into Sasori's neck and the critic hummed in a reply, closing his laptop as he brushed his lips against the top of Deidara's head.

"Don't you have to be up early tomorrow?"

Deidara tightened his grip on Sasori's body. "I'll be fine, un. Let's go," he said, pulling on Sasori's shirt as he stood, his poor attempt at getting the man out of the chair.

Sasori chuckled and took his time getting up, before letting Deidara lead him to their bedroom, his grip unrelenting. Deidara walked backwards as he held onto Sasori, confident on where he was going. He kept his body close to his lover's, his lips just skimming the other's.

"Did you know that you've been neglecting me, un?"

Sasori let his eyes slip closed as he felt Deidara's breath against his lips a little more harshly, his breathing picking up. "Trust me, it hasn't been easy on me either," he replied, his hands going to rest on the jut of Deidara's hips.

Deidara's grip on his shirt tightened as they finally passed the threshold of their room. Sasori's eyes remained closed as he finally pushed his lips to Deidara's fully, his hands bringing them closer together. He could feel Deidara rubbing himself off on him, his hips bucking into Sasori's.

Once they reached the bed, Deidara let himself fall back, Sasori letting him down easily until he felt claws sink into his hand. Sasori swore mentally and broke away from the kiss, now opening his eyes to see Kuro scamper off the bed. Deidara's blank stare was on him as he comprehended what happened.

"Kurotsuchi, un?" he said as he pulled himself onto the bed before pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it off to the side.

"Yeah," Sasori muttered quickly as he did the same, now just as eager as Deidara. The blonde was working on his belt when Sasori pounced forward and crushed his lips to Deidara's, quickly inserting his tongue and pushing the other man into the mattress.

Deidara's hands came up to tangle in his hair and pull him closer, his body arching into Sasori's, a leg going around his waist to push their hips together. Sasori pulled away with a hiss and tried not to rock into Deidara too roughly, not wanting either of them to come too soon.

"Are you taking a shower afterwards?" Sasori asked as he sat up to undo his pants, Deidara letting go of him as he did so.

The other man just hummed in thought as he finally managed to get his pants off, boxers flying off soon after. "I don't think so, un. But we can just change the sheets afterwards, can't we?"

Sasori kicked off his slacks where they landed on the ground, crumpled and probably due for a trip to the dry cleaners soon. "I think it's best to do both, really," Sasori said as he finally got on top of Deidara, his hands planted next to the blond's head. He gave a genuine smile. "Do you want me to tell you how you look right now?"

Deidara's expression didn't change much from his usual aroused countenance, but his face and neck became more flushed and he turned his head away from Sasori a little, until Sasori grabbed his chin and pulled him back to get a good look at him.

"You look like you're at peace, as if nothing could ruin this moment." Deidara's lips twitched into a small smile. "Your hair is all over the place and sometimes I have to give a double take because it looks like the sun is shining all round you." Deidara scoffed at that, but he flushed even deeper. "Your skin looks so sun kissed because won't stop blushing," Sasori chuckled, cupping Deidara's neck, his thumb brushing against the blond's hot cheek. "I wish I could find more synonyms for beautiful, happy, and perfect, but I can't. You are your own word and nothing will ever be able to describe you," he said, leaning down to brush his lips against Deidara's. The other man tried to kiss him, but Sasori stayed out of reach by just a few centimeters.

"Your tongue is wicked, Sasori-no-Danna, but I know it can do other things than just talk, un," Deidara said into his ear huskily.

Sasori leaned down further to kiss the blond's neck, feeling Deidara shift under him. He could feel his lover's hard-on against his stomach. "That it can, but let me adore you for just a little while longer."

Sasori didn't stop worshipping Deidara's body until the blond was on the precipice of coming. He skimmed his lips across Deidara's body, kissing every freckle and birthmark he found, or biting whenever a bone jutted out of his skin enough to be noticeable. Deidara's collarbones were covered in bruises.

He sucked gently on the insides of Deidara's thighs, marking closer and closer to Deidara's need, and soon pre-come was spotting on the blond's belly. Deidara didn't try to hide his sighs of appreciation or his hisses from when Sasori bit slightly too hard on a piece of his flesh. He took it all in stride as Sasori continued to roam his body.

Soon enough, Sasori had to turn Deidara over so he could worship the other side of him, starting with the backs of his hands and down. Deidara lay on the bed flat, clutching the pillow his head rested on, his head turned to the side so he was still able to breathe. He tried rocking his hips into the bedding, but Sasori stopped him with hands on his ass, gently kneading the mounds of flesh.

"Do you still want my mouth, Deidara?" Sasori said as he leaned down to whisper in the blond's ears, his erection pressing between the blond's cheeks, against his quivering hole.

Deidara nearly whimpered his response, a tremulous, "Please, un."

Sasori kissed the back of Deidara's neck as he slid off the blond to massage his lower back lightly before moving down to grope his ass. He moved further back on the bed so he was just resting behind Deidara and he could get a good look at his ass. He did it quickly, leaving Deidara no room to anticipate. The blond made a tighter grip on the pillows, letting out a moan, his voice wrecked as Sasori dragged his tongue across his entrance.

Sasori hummed at the voice below him before giving another luscious lick, adding a kiss to it at the end. Deidara tried to arch into his mouth, but Sasori held him down and continued with his languid pace, prodding his tongue into Deidara lightly in a teasing manner. After a minute he managed to get a finger in with his tongue, slowly working Deidara open without proper lubrication.

His saliva was dripping down Deidara's perineum, going down to his cock and Deidara wriggled at the feeling, his toes digging into the sheets. "Danna…" he panted out into the air, but Sasori didn't slow his pace, instead added another finger to join his index and Deidara gasped at the feeling. "Please… Now, you have to do it now before I come, un!"

Sasori was reluctant to pull away, but after a few more licks he managed to pry himself from Deidara to get a good look at his work. "You still need some more prep," he said, reaching over Deidara to get to the side table where they kept the lube and condoms.

Deidara tried to stop him. "I'm fine, just do it, please, un," he said, his hand on Sasori's arm.

The critic sighed and continued to get the desired objects. "You may say that now but I don't want you sore in the morning." he leaned down and kissed Deidara's temple. "It's fine, Dei."

Stretching Deidara took about another ten minutes and towards the end of it Deidara was panting so harshly that Sasori thought that he was actually going to come. Once his finger left the blond, Deidara practically sprang up and pushed Sasori onto his back, straddling his hips as he gripped Sasori's member.

The redhead grunted as he held Deidara by his hips to stop him. "We need more lube," he panted, trying not to get even more aroused as Deidara took control of the situation.

Deidara huffed and felt around the bed for the tube but after only searching for a few seconds, he got fed up and moved down Sasori's body so he would be able to take the man into his mouth. Sasori swore and did his best not to buck his hips, digging his feet into the bed. Deidara only gave him a few sucks before straddling him again and placing a hand on his stomach to steady himself as he finally sank down onto Sasori's cock.

Sasori still had to keep his hands on Deidara's waist to make sure he didn't move too soon but Deidara seemed adamant in his want, already circling his hips.

"Danna," he whined. "Please let me move, un. You're making this way harder than it needs to be." his nails dug into Sasori's stomach and the critic huffed out in the pain that went straight to his dick.

"Okay, okay, just go."

Deidara sighed in appreciation as Sasori loosened his grip and let him get to work, bouncing lightly in Sasori's lap. The redhead watched Deidara's reaction, seeing his eyes close as his mouth opened in sighs that started gaining pitch. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he continued to pull himself on Sasori's cock, only to slam back down and the redhead took the courtesy of digging his feet into the bed and thrusting up quickly, finally striking the spot that Deidara was trying to reach.

The blond was so taken by the action that he fell forward, his hands going by Sasori's head as the redhead continued to rock into him. His head hung low and Sasori managed to give him a rough kiss, snapping him out of his daze. Deidara exhaled into his mouth, now resting his body on top of Sasori's, his hands gripping his shoulders as Sasori finally began to drive into him.

Skin slapped against skin and Deidara's moans became stuttered as he tried to keep his head up, but he soon let it drop on Sasori's chest and the redhead kissed the side of his face before going to grab his ass and continue thrusting into him roughly.

The angle was perfect for them to kiss, but it only did so much for Sasori to strike Deidara's prostate and soon Sasori stopped so he could sit up, holding Deidara's body close to his as he laid the blond down, not unsheathing himself from his lover. Deidara chuckled into his neck as he spread his legs further apart to allow himself to pull Sasori closer.

Sasori kissed Deidara sweetly before moving again, causing Deidara to grunt before he began panting again. Deidara had his arms wrapped around Sasori's body, only allowing for the redhead's hips to move but it almost kept the both of them grounded, like they weren't about to float away any time soon.

They also got heated in their kisses in this position as well, so much that Sasori sometimes forgot to move and it took Deidara a few bucks of his hips to remind him.

It didn't take them long to reach their completion, Deidara stroking himself between their belies as Sasori's thrusts sped up until it was almost punishing. Sasori had to occupy himself with biting Deidara's neck so he wouldn't come too soon and the blond gave a sob, his hips jerking as he was on the edge. The critic moved away from his neck, kissing the spot gently as Deidara sighed in relief.

Sasori brought his hand down to Deidara's so he could help the man finish and Deidara inhaled loudly against his throat. Deidara grabbed the back of his neck with his free hand, bringing Sasori close enough to breathe against his lover's lips as he finally came. He finally kissed Sasori, biting his lip as his brow furrowed further and his body tensed, curling around the redhead, pulling him closer.

Sasori grunted as he felt blood dripping from his bottom lip, but he pushed Deidara back onto the bed as he used his body to bring himself off. Deidara was limp in his arms and Sasori watched him while he leaned back so he could grab his legs, throwing them over his shoulders so the blond was nearly bent in half.

Deidara whimpered at the position, still oversensitive, but Sasori kissed him in reassurance before taking his pleasure and moving again, whispering soothing words to Deidara. He told him how well he did, how amazing he looked and Sasori was sure that if Deidara wasn't on the verge of passing out, he would be smacked for saying these kind of things.

It didn't take much longer after that and Sasori stifled his groan in Deidara's lips again, keeping his eyes open to watch Deidara's face, the blond's eyes open as well, shining with unshed tears.

Sasori was practically gasping in the end, unable to move at the time, but Deidara had already had time to calm down, so he moved his legs down to rest at Sasori's hips before he stretched under the man. Deidara's arms were raised above his head and he hummed in content as he settled back down.

Sasori finally took the chance to pull out and sit up, Deidara curling up right afterwards. "Hey, go take a shower, I'll change the sheets."

Deidara lay on his side and sighed. "I'm fine, un," he said, his voice slurred with sleepiness and Sasori rolled his eyes as he got up from the bed, noticing where he was sore.

"Yeah, you're not going to say that in the morning." he leaned down and helped Deidara sit up but the blond just ended up smacking him away childishly.

"Fine, fine, are you going to join me, un?" he gave another stretch and turned towards Sasori.

"Yeah, I'll be there," Sasori said as he began pulling the soiled sheets off the bed, noting the unused condom and making sure to put it back in the drawer incase they used it later.

Deidara hummed as he walked to the bathroom, knocking into the dresser and doorway on his way there, but he didn't seem to care in his languid state. Sasori watched him step into the shower with the water on full blast as he leaned against the tile.

It took Sasori around three minutes to make the bed for their return, and he nearly jumped into the shower with Deidara who was now just rinsing the shampoo out of his hair.

"Have you ever tried putting no-tears shampoo in your eyes, un?" Deidara asked as Sasori put a dollop of shampoo into his own hair.

Sasori chuckled lightly, now massaging his scalp. "I think once when I was a kid. It hurt like a bitch and I was pretty sure I needed help getting it out."

"But did you cry, un?"

Sasori shrugged, now stepping into the stream. "If I didn't cry, I'm pretty sure the neighbors thought I was getting murdered."

Deidara chortled as he began running some conditioner to the end of his hair. He stepped to the side to allow him some more water and Sasori saw him limp. He sighed and reached down to massage Deidara's lower back, feeling him wince then relax into his grip. Sasori then reached down to Deidara's entrance and began prodding lightly, and Deidara huffed at him.

Sasori's exhale was unamused. "I know you didn't clean yourself properly, so let me do it for you, brat."

Sasori's fingers didn't stop their quest and Deidara leaned into him to allow the redhead further access as Sasori cleaned him of any left over spunk that he didn't managed to get out. Soon enough, Deidara was beginning to get impatient, but Sasori could hear his breath quickening.

"I need to wash the conditioner out, Sasori, un," Deidara warned as Sasori pushed his fingers in deeper.

"Then do it, it won't hinder me at all," Sasori said, as he just brushed up against Deidara's prostate, the blond nearly snarling at him for it.

"I swear, if you turn me on again–"

Sasori hushed Deidara gently as he finally pulled his fingers out. "There, all done," he reassured, now reaching for the soap so he could lather his body.

Deidara scowled and began to rinse his hair again. Once he was done, Sasori offered to wash his body and Deidara accepted, but with hesitance that made Sasori smirk.

It was nearly ten minutes later that they were both out and they only semi-dried each other before jumping into the bed that Kuro had occupied once more. Sasori shooed her off as they got under the sheets, and he pulled Deidara close.

"You didn't dry your hair, Dei. You're gonna get a cold," Sasori chided and Deidara just threw a leg around his hip, pushing their crotches together.

"You can take care of me, Danna, un."

Sasori rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything else, because the both of them knew it was true.

Deidara then cracked an eye open as if to get Sasori's attention. "You aren't going to deny it, defend yourself, un?"

Sasori chuckled and laid an arm out for Deidara to use as a pillow, the wet hair chilled against his skin. "Literally no words to describe you, Deidara."

The other man just became flushed with embarrassment disguised as anger. "Then don't think about it, un," he muttered petulantly.

Sasori kissed him before answering, his lips still touching Deidara's. "What a perfect idea."

* * *

**End**


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